The present invention relates generally to weight apparatus and, more particularly, to weight apparatus comprising bars to which one or more weights can be attached.
U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 12/744,965, 12/744,972, 12/744,975, and 13/412,457, which are incorporated by reference, describe weight apparatus to which a plurality of weights can be attached and by rotation of a handle of a bar of the apparatus so that rods protrude from ends of the bar and are adapted to selectively secure one or more weights to the bar. In these arrangements, the rods have an overall length of half of the bar, or less, which imposes limits on the number of additional weights that can be attached to the bar. It is desirable to provide an apparatus that facilitates attaching additional weights to a bar.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a weight apparatus comprises a bar comprising a handle, an anchorage rotatably mounted to an end of the handle, the handle and the anchorage having an axially extending opening, a pinion gear rotatably mounted in the axially extending opening, a rod slidably disposed inside the axially extending opening and having a rack arranged to be moved axially relative to the axially extending opening upon rotation of the pinion gear, and a gear drive arrangement for rotating the pinion gear upon rotation of the handle relative to the anchorage.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a weight apparatus comprises a bar comprising a handle having an axially extending opening, and a rod slidably disposed inside the axially extending opening and axially movable relative to the axially extending opening, the rod having a rod end, a weight disc having a weight axial opening for receiving the rod, the weight axial opening having a first and a second end, the weight disc being locked to the bar when the rod is received in the weight axial opening and unlocked from the bar when the rod is not disposed in the weight axial opening, an auxiliary weight disc, and a lock arranged to lock the auxiliary weight disk to the bar when the rod end is disposed at the first or the second end of the weight axial opening, and arranged to unlock the auxiliary weight disc from the bar when the rod end is disposed between the first and the second end of the weight axial opening.